A pain score only tells part of the story.
Two people may report the same number — yet experience very different levels of disruption to movement, sleep, mood, or participation in daily life.
This guide introduces a more complete way to assess pain, by looking beyond intensity and exploring how pain is affecting the person’s life.
It outlines key domains to consider in practice, helping you build a clearer picture and support more meaningful, person-centred care decisions.
Use it as a reference when pain scores don’t seem to match the level of impact — or when you need to better understand what’s really going on for the person experiencing pain.
